Interdisciplinary Post-Doc
The USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory in Oxford, MS seeks an Interdisciplinary Scientist (Postdoctoral Research Associate) to study agroecological and economic impacts of a novel edible cover crop system in a food insecure region of the southeast USA. The scientist will participate in a plot study evaluating edible and non-edible cover crop varieties, in addition to ongoing field-scale research projects as part of the Lower Mississippi River Basin (LMRB) Long-term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network. The scientist will assist with collecting and analyzing several types of environmental, agronomic, and economic data to assess agroecosystem dynamics and conduct a tradeoff analysis. Modeling tools may be utilized to extrapolate or evaluate results and may be applied to broader regional studies as part of the LMRB LTAR project. Collaboration in community and producer focus groups is also possible in this project.
Research will primarily 1) improve understanding of management strategies to improve soil health, water quality, and agronomic outputs, 2) provide actionable guidance in cover crop management for Mississippi farmers, and 3) result in peer-reviewed manuscripts and presentations at local and national conferences.
The Research Associate is funded through USDA-ARS Headquarters Postdoctoral funding and therefore is required to be a US Citizen. A PhD is required; appropriate fields include Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Agronomy, Applied Economics, Ecology, Soil Science, or equivalent. The position is located in Oxford, MS. Please send a CV and cover letter to Dr. Lindsey Witthaus, Lindsey.Witthaus@usda.gov. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis with the intent to hire in 2024 – early 2025.